Joji Releases Compelling Album, “Nectar”
By Kevin Conley II, Staff Writer
Popular Japanese artist Joji came to fame two years ago when his song “Slow Dancing in the Dark” took the Internet by storm, raking up a staggering 189 million viewers on YouTube.
Now, the 28 year old artist, previously known by internet fans as Filthy Frank, hopes to capture lightning in a bottle once again, with his newest album, “Nectar”, hitting shelves.
Nectar attempts to capture the tragic events of Joji‘s life, adding a melancholy and atmospheric feel that aims to connect to hardcore Joji fans, and general audiences experiencing similar events.
These aspects involve impacts on the end of a relationship, the impact of chaos, and the feeling of being taken over by the world’s darkest fears.
Joji attempts to portray this through the way he feels about being forced to become a pop star in the music industry in Modus, the way he felt about love and relationships in “Ew”.
“Upgrade” highlights Joji’s relationship with an ex-lover, and how he took the blame for the relationship’s downfall. “Run” captures the fear and anxiety one often feels in a relationship, while “Afterthoughts” explores the impact of a dysfunctional relationship.
His song, “Normal People” attempts to portray how fear can overtake people and demean them. While there are some melancholy songs that people can feel for and listen to in relaxing ways, many songs express optimism as well.
Songs like “Nitrous” explores themes of ending a relationship and moving on. “Pretty Boy”, is a song about having the confidence of striving from life tragedies. Lil Yachty helped in the song’s recording. Finally, the song 777 symbolizes the inspiration of finding true love rather than that of physical love.
Each song expresses a deep, symbolic message relating to Joji’s internal problems. Nectar allows its fans to relate to the feelings that Joji experiences, with the album featuring some of his finest hits yet. Anyone struggling with depression is likely to relate to the album’s uplifting themes.
Each song has a deep, symbolic meaning related to the artist’s social issues, but it can help fans feel connected with his problems, and this album was a very excellent collage of his new music. Nectar’s soothing, hypnotic feel is a must buy for anyone who likes relaxing, and satisfying tunes. The album is guaranteed to make an impact on any of its listeners, while offering a positive, uplifting, albeit haunting message for audiences dealing with mental, and emotional issues. The complex themes discussed in Nectar are likely to connect with listeners who can relate to the struggles of artist Joji.
9/10